ITNS
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ITNSThe Annual ITNS Symposium is the premier professional development event for transplant nurses and professionals. ITNS' focus on specialty transplant nursing education and research sets our symposium apart from other educational events. We hope you will attend the symposium and consider sending your nurses. All will benefit greatly, as will your patients. Register today to save $100!

ITNS
The 2017 call for abstracts has been extended to Wednesday, September 21 at Midnight (CT).
The ITNS Annual Symposium Planning Committee invites you to present at the 26th Annual Symposium, "Reflections of Transplant Nursing Excellence," at Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, FL on 24-26 June 2017. Learn more about abstract requirements and start your submission now, and we hope to see you in 2017!

The Sacramento Bee The Center for Spiritual Awareness church in West Sacramento sparkled with sophistication as finely dressed guests filed into Kyla Aquino Irving’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”-themed quinceañera. Martini glasses and little blue boxes dotted the tables, while an on-stage singer serenaded attendees out of their seats.READ MORE

STATHospitals across the United States are throwing away less-than-perfect organs and denying the sickest people lifesaving transplants out of fear that poor surgical outcomes will result in a federal crackdown.
As a result, thousands of patients are losing the chance at surgeries that could significantly prolong their lives, and the altruism of organ donation is being wasted.READ MORE

ABC NewsAs Aaron Arch looked over the collection of coins, given to him for his service and sacrifice, he thought about the men and women still serving.
“They needed help and I was able to help in the kind of support they needed,” said Arch as he put down one of his favorite coins.
It was from the Ft. Hood military base where Arch served in the hospital. He treated men and women who got injured during service.
Now, he’s the one who needs help.READ MORE

City & Region New York State has the nation’s lowest percentage of residents signed up to donate organs upon their death, but the potential donor pool could grow by tens of thousands through a law awaiting the governor’s signature.
Advocates are making a last push to get Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill that would lower the age of consent from 18 to 16 for organ, eye and tissue donations. Cuomo, who has already warmed to the idea of improving organ donation participation, has a deadline to sign or veto the bill.READ MORE

By Chelsea Adams The United Network for Organ Sharing has proposed changes to the United States' transplant system in an attempt to reduce the geographic disparity that makes it more difficult to get liver transplants in some areas of the country. At present, organs are shared among 11 districts in the nation. The proposal seeks to reduce the number of districts to eight districts with redrawn borders. Changing the districts' boundaries would create a better ratio of available livers to waiting recipients.
READ MORE

The Bulletin“I thought about just generally being altruistic,” he said. “But then I started thinking, ‘This is bull****. I should get something for this. This is America.’”
Then he came up with a unique solution.
“Why don’t I give a kidney to someone who needs it now, then get a voucher for my grandson to use when he needs a transplant in the future?” he asked the transplant doctors at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. READ MORE

Cardiovascular BusinessSince the implantation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014, listings for heart transplants have increased by 17 percent, according to a recent analysis.
Meanwhile, listings for liver transplants and kidney transplants only increased 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively, during the same time periodREAD MORE

Daily Mail An elderly woman in Dallas who had spent seven months waiting for a transplant liver gave it up to save the life of a 23-year-old.
Brenda Jones, 69, had made it to the top of the transplant list and was waiting for surgery when her doctors made the unusual request: would she give the organ to a young woman who was hours away from death?READ MORE

NewsweekThere are roughly 120,000 people waiting for organ transplants in the United States. On average, 79 patients across the country get the transplant they need each day, while 22 die waiting because of a shortage of donated organs.
Part of the reason for that shortfall is that not all donated organs can be used. For example, only about a third of 82,053 potential donor hearts were accepted for transplant between 1995 and 2010, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine found last year. READ MORE

Science 2.0Blood stem cell transplantation, widely known as bone marrow transplantation, is a powerful technique that potentially can provide a lifelong cure for a variety of diseases. But the procedure is so toxic that it is currently used to treat only the most critical cases.READ MORE

British Journal of Health PsychologyLiving donor kidney transplantation offers advantages to the patient, however involves risks to the donor. To optimize donors' mental health after donation, we studied the influence of psychological factors on this outcome. Potential predictors were based on models of Lazarus (1999) and Ursin and Eriksen (2004) that describe predictors of mental health mediated by stress.READ MORE

The New York TimesTake my kidneys. Please.
Take my lungs, too, and my liver. Heart, skin, corneas, anything useful. Once I’ve died, I’ll have no further need for my body parts, but they could prove vital for some of the tens of thousands of people anxiously awaiting organ transplants.
The fact that I’m over 65 doesn’t disqualify me (or you). In fact, it makes us particularly desirable as donors, living or dead, for older recipients, who represent a growing proportion of transplant patients.READ MORE